Three months ago we were finally heating up to get ready to go sailing again. We’d just ordered more solar panels and I was researching a big lithium battery overhaul. Then Grammy got sick and sailing was put back on the back burner at a very low simmer.
For the last hundred days we really had no idea what the future might hold. Grammy was deathly ill in the ICU and we were being told by the doctors almost daily to say our goodbyes. Once we’d reached the limits of how long a person should be on a Covid ventilator we pulled it out and she immediately took over breathing on her own and her lung/oxygen numbers were better than before she went in. But weeks later she still wasn’t waking up from the fog. She was basically a one-year-old child in a hospital bed with a body that was rapidly turning to skin and bones.
The doctors told us there was nothing more they could do (her MRI didn’t show any damage, stroke, etc.). She could either be sent to a nursing home or we could take her with us. She was refusing to eat and had already pulled a feeding tube out three times. She came home, under hospice care, and we still didn’t know what to expect. If she didn’t start eating, she would die. If she ate, but her brain didn’t wake up, she’d be a bedridden shell of her old self.
Then, almost overnight, her brain shook off the fog, and her appetite came back with a vengeance. One day we were lifting her out of bed with a crane to set her into a wheelchair (something she has no memory of), and the next day we were holding her arm as she walked around her room. Every day she improved.
In early February everyone decided it’d be best if she moved back to Portland. Her hospice care nurse was happy to tell us that Grammy was only her second graduation. We still had no idea if there’d be any chance of us setting sail this year, but we did know that if it didn’t happen this year, it probably wouldn’t happen.
Grammy settled into her new place and broke down in tears. Tears of happiness. She loves her new place in Assisted Living. Fortunately, she is back to full strength and gets around just like she always did before, if not better. And while she doesn’t need much assistance at the moment, because of her deteriorating eyesight, she may need more down the line. For now, she has good people around if she needs any help with anything, she has a small place that is easy for her to navigate, she has all her meals cooked for her, she has unlimited milkshakes available, and she has her family a few minutes away.
Point being, we had no way to know three months ago, much less one month ago, if Grammy would be in a position that we’d feel comfortable leaving her. A lot of miracles needed to happen in order for her to get better and for us to be able to move her and get her settled in a beautiful place that she would be happy in and well taken care of without us.
My brother came to town for a couple of days. I put the hurt on him in bowling, then crashed into a wall in the video games.
Beverly Cleary grew up around here. This is a statue of Ramona. I loved reading the Ramona books to the kids when they were little.
The AirBnB we were staying in was nice, but for some reason they decided to give the garage an “at least 5 people have been murdered in here” aesthetic. No lights, and a bed covered in plastic. The basement was equally murderous, as most Portland basements seem to be. Ali and the kids were staying here for a couple of days before I arrived, and they had piled just about every loose item in the house in front of both of those doors. For two weeks Ali turned the laundry duties over to me. One morning I walked out there with a load and said loudly, “No, no, you don’t have to get up. Sorry to wake you, I’ll be out of here in just a minute.” When I walked back in the house Ali had gone pale.
It now seems to snow in Portland as if it is a perfectly normal thing to do in March. Like they are Minnesota or something.
Our nephew, Curt, drove up from the University of Oregon to visit us. We rolled out the red carpet for him. Ritz, cheese, and PBR.
Out for a stroll around our neighborhood. For those familiar with Portland, we were on Broadway over by Blind Onion pizza. I walked over and picked up a lot of incredibly delicious pizza in those two weeks. Around the corner from us was a small record shop. Ouest and I went for a walk one day and stopped in. We were greeted by a guy straight out of central casting for a Sid Vicious look-alike, in a room the size of a walk-in closet. The record selection was about ten times more punk than I’ve ever been in my life, and Ouest had never heard of a single band in there. We walked out empty-handed and laughing that we’d have to really up our punk game before rolling in there again. Portland is fun like that, though. There are so many funky, unique places to poke around in. People try to slag off Portland with a dismissive “hipster” tag, but I’ll still take Portland over literally any suburb in America.
Somehow when we come to the States for any length of time we end up with more possessions than we had owned in total before the visit. Granted, we had been here for Christmas and a couple of birthdays, and we were hauling back things like record players, sewing machines, books, and water pumps, but yikes.
And then one day it was time to go. Grammy cried some more, and poor Bridget couldn’t have looked more pathetic as she seemed to understand we weren’t going to be coming back again the next day.
So, we said our goodbyes, hopped on a plane, and restarted “normal” life.
When you arrive in Puerto Vallarta you are shepherded into a huge room where the immigration check happens. It’s Spring Break, so there were a bunch of planes arriving, and the line was massive. But these days, thanks to our newly acquired Mexican Permanent Residency cards, and the kids’ Mexican passports, we get to cruise right past everyone else to the Mexican line. It feels like we’ve received a First Class upgrade.
After immigration comes customs. Fortunately, getting checked is random. We let Lowe press the button so we could blame him if it came up red. It didn’t, and we were waived right through with our three carts full of luggage. Some days everything just falls right into place.
Yes, we even lugged new IKEA stools back with us.
I’m STILL in the process of removing sticker goop from the old boat name.
One of the big projects we need to get done before we can go anywhere is to repair the jib roller. Right now it barely spins, and getting the jib in and out is nearly impossible.
I went up the mast to investigate how the heck to go about it.
This dove just cooed at me and didn’t care a bit that I was up there with him.
This design leaves something to be desired. The water and salty air can go right on in. The thin metal circlip turns to rust, and from what I’ve gathered online, whatever is behind that bushing gets all gunked up, too. This is going to be a project. Not a fun one.
Meanwhile, on our second day back we decided the only way to make a Pacific crossing happen this year was to put ourselves on the clock. We have just missed 100 days of prep time, and are going to give oursleves 16 days to finish up and go. Sometimes a hard deadline is the only way to make things happen. Tick, tock, tick, tock.
Big jobs to be done are:
1. Repair jib furler
2. Finish install of additional solar panels
3. Install new batteries
4. Get outboard for the dinghy
5. Stock the boat with enough food for an army
6. Try and enjoy ourselves
7. Finish as many of the hundred other small jobs as possible
32 Comments on “On the Clock”
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Rooting for you to finish the list and get moving! It’s going to be a wild ride.
Good luck☘️So glad your Mom is doing so well🥰
Welcome home.
A bit late in the season to make the jump, but you saved Grammy. You’ve been ashore a long time. Good thing you have a cat for getting your sea legs back. Tick tock, but don’t cut too many corners. Glad to see you folks getting back to the sea, so we can satisfy our voyeurism. xo Jon
Back in 2004, we left May 13 and that was to make a stop in the Galapagos (and unexpected stop in Colombia). We left there on June 17th to arrive in the Marquesas July 11. I’m hoping we are a few months ahead of that this time.
Your mom looks fantastic! So happy for you all – now, get to work!
I’m so happy for you that Grammy has recovered so well. I shed a few tears reading this post as it hit home for me. My 83 year old mother is still in the brain fog from Covid. She’s not in hospice and my 85 year old father is looking after her, but she’s not coming out of it. Thanks for sharing such a personal part of your life.
Awe I’m sorry to hear about your parents, Stacie. Your family is in my thoughts. I hope you are able to spend some time with them. I know for our situation we were so fortunate to be together and pull through together.
You are such a beautiful family…I’ve been following a long time. I started thinking about when it was I discovered your blog. We were in a homeschool group in the Mt. Vernon/Bellingham area and one of the moms told us about a sailing family she knew (Totem) and suggested we follow them on their world adventure. That became our geography and history lessons for quite some time as we followed wherever they sailed. Along the way they mentioned you guys and I started reading your blog from the very beginning. It’s been so fun to follow your adventures on land and sea and to watch your kids grow (Lowe and my granddaughter are just 2 months apart in age) and a treat to experience life through your eyes. It’s evident you have strong family ties and amazing love and support for each other. Just want to wish you fair sails as you take off on this new adventure! Your mom looks great and it’s so nice to see her smiling face again 😊
Wow awesome! So happy you have continued to follow us along. And yes, Grammy is smiling again. I cannot believe it myself!
You should write a couple books about your adventures. You have a big enough fan base to sell them for sure!!
I get apprehensive when someone says they’re going to have to sail to a schedule – it’s often the first domino that can lead to something unfortunate (remember Rebel Heart?). But maybe the worst that happens is you have to put in to Buenaventura, Colombia again and the kids get to really experience exactly what you did on your first circumnavigation.
I had to look this up, of course, but what you posted the first time you were there resonates with me: ” . . . we are safe and we are in Colombia, which I never thought we would be. And we’re still 800 miles from the Galápagos. But we don’t really care. We’ll get there when we get there.”
It’s those last two sentences that should be everyone’s sailing mantra, IMO.
We are not putting our sail on a schedule – we are getting off the dock on a schedule to test new batteries, solar, water maker, etc. After that we will start watching for weather.
Having read Bumfuzzle for years, one thing is clear: Pat and Ali are the most adaptable people around. They never go ahead with something that doesn’t make sense just because they might desperately want to do it. That’s what set them apart from some others.
Your Mom looks GREAT!!!! Glad everything is ticking right along.
Thanks, Judith! Tick, tick, tick…
@TaoJones, you and I have never met, but I do know the Rebel Heart crew, and they are reliable and delightful. I think their situation didn’t have to do with sailing on a schedule. It was totally different. I just don’t know why you’d bring up old slander all these years later. I’m sure you’re nice but your comment seems out of nowhere, and hurtful.
Pat and Ali, thanks for the update. Wishing you all the best!
So glad miracles do happen & you’ll be on your way. Can’t wait!
Yay Grammy! My pops beat hospice twice! That generation is from solid stock!
Go West young people! Goodonyas!
Grammy looks great!! You guys performed a miracle….We are leaving for Northern Ontario in a week for the summer…Wish you guys a great trip and as always be careful and safe…Can’t wait for your stories and adventures…
Thank goodness your granny is better! What an amazing story. Good luck and fair winds! We will be following your journey.
You are a very caring, admirable couple to give up three months of your life to take care of your grandmother. Big hearts for sure.
Good luck with the scramble! The furling mess sounds tricky to repair in such a way that it won’t happen again.
Looking forward to following the adventure.
I am so happy Grammie is doing so well!!
16 days, knowing you all it’ll be done in half the time.
Try acetone on the old boat name goop. It evaporates really quickly so you need to work in fast little spurts, but I’ve used to remove duct tape adhesive from turnbuckles.
Hey Pat,
In the pic with the dove, about three inches below the halyard termination, does that look like the line is starting to fray a bit? Could be just the angle, but…
glad grammy is doing better. get movin’ dammit!
Anchors aweigh!
How exciting that you’re getting ready to sail, knowing Grammy is well & cared for! She’s a toughie for sure!
Another wonderful heartfelt life lesson for your kids too. 🙂
Stay safe, smooth sailing! Can’t wait to voyage along from our nomadic landlubber life!
Am I the only one catching the fact that 16 days from a blog post date of March 16 is April 1st? Hmmmm…. #temptingfate
Worked in Antarctica for more years than I care to mention. After time, I would check into the best hotel in town, have a good meal, then spread all my stuff on the floor and repack before going to bed.
By the time I got to that point, I whittled away about 40% of what I’d previously carried.
Good point Joanna, however I’d think the date is more indicative of rent due at Paradise Marina than the better jokester nature of the Bums.
Fair winds and following seas good people!
Grammy news is good! Keep it up!
Not trying to blow up your posts… I posted this when you first mentioned your adhesive problem. I have never seen an adhesive this could not remove. It is used on vehicles to remove adhesive body items attached with two sided tape, pin stripping, remove decals such as those annoying dealership decals or other ‘sticky’ items all with no affect on the vehicle’s paint. It is literally a big pencil eraser. Nothing any more fancy than that. Dollars to donuts, it will remove it in 20 minutes or less and it will all be gone.
This magic tool is so unknown and it is an atrocity more do not know about it.
https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Rubber-Eraser-Adapter-1-Pack/dp/B018WG2XYE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=ZI8DX9EXFF38&keywords=drill+eraser+wheel&qid=1680361169&sprefix=drill+eraser%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A1UMBRA5ZTBCX8&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE4RVZJRVFQREZDNzUmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1NDg3MDkyU0lWRTlXWTRZSE4wJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyMzQ3NjQyWFNUT05VNDU1WEtFJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=